Compagnie Africaine d'Aviation
Compagnie Africaine d'Aviation (CAA; African Aviation Company), renamed FlyCAA in 2013,[2] is a regional airline from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, based at N'djili Airport in Kinshasa.[3] It offers an extensive network of domestic scheduled passenger flights,[4] as well as cargo flights. Due to safety and security concerns, CAA has been included in the list of air carriers banned in the European Union,[5] along with many other airlines from the Congo.
| Founded | 1991 |
|---|---|
| Operating bases | N'djili Airport |
| Focus cities | Lubumbashi Int'l Airport |
| Fleet size | 7 |
| Destinations | 20 |
| Headquarters | Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| Key people | David and Daniel Blattner |
| Website | www.caacongo.com |
History
Compagnie Africaine d'Aviation was founded in 1991 and started operations on 26 December 1992. Endres, Günter, ed. (2012). "World Airlines". Flight International. Reed Business Information Ltd. p. 49.
In 2013 merged with FlyCongo and formed FlyCAA.[6]
In January 2016, the airline terminated their only international route to Johannesburg after failing to receive renewed traffic rights.[7]
In 2020, the airline acquired an Airbus A330-200 with the stated intention of flying to Brussels, which under current European Union restrictions would require CAA to operate the service using foreign registration and crew.[8]
Destinations
According to the August 2013 timetable, CAA operates scheduled flights to the following destinations:[9]
| City | State | Airport |
|---|---|---|
| Beni | DR Congo | Beni Airport |
| Boende | DR Congo | Boende Airport |
| Bukavu | DR Congo | Kavumu Airport |
| Bumba | DR Congo | Bumba Airport |
| Bunia | DR Congo | Bunia Airport |
| Gemena | DR Congo | Gemena Airport |
| Goma | DR Congo | Goma International Airport |
| Isiro | DR Congo | Matari Airport |
| Kalemie | DR Congo | Kalemie Airport |
| Kananga | DR Congo | Kananga Airport |
| Kindu | DR Congo | Kindu Airport |
| Kinshasa | DR Congo | N'djili Airport (base) |
| Kisangani | DR Congo | Bangoka International Airport |
| Kongolo | DR Congo | Kongolo Airport |
| Lisala | DR Congo | Lisala Airport |
| Lodja | DR Congo | Lodja Airport |
| Lubumbashi | DR Congo | Lubumbashi International Airport (focus city)[4] |
| Mbandaka | DR Congo | Mbandaka Airport |
| Mbuji-Mayi | DR Congo | Mbuji Mayi Airport |
| Tshikapa | DR Congo | Tshikapa Airport |
Fleet
Current fleet
The FlyCAA fleet consists of the following aircraft (as of August 2019):[10][needs update]
| Aircraft | In service | Orders | Passengers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A320-200 | 2 | — | ||
| Airbus A330-200 | 1 | — | 406 | |
| ATR 72-500 | 2 | — | 70 | |
| Fokker 50 | 4 | — | 50 | |
| Total | 7 | — | ||
Former fleet
Over the years, the following aircraft types were operated:
This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (March 2013) |
| Aircraft | Introduced | Retired |
|---|---|---|
| Airbus A320-200 | 2010 | 2016 |
| 1 Airbus A321-200[11] | 2016 | 2016 |
| Antonov An-26 | ||
| Antonov An-32 | ||
| Boeing 727 | ||
| Convair CV-580 | 1993 | |
| Fokker 50 | 2009[12] | active |
| Fokker 100 | 2011 | 2015 |
| Ilyushin Il-18 | ||
| McDonnell Douglas MD-81 | 2005[12] | 2010 |
| McDonnell Douglas MD-82 | 2008[12] | 2010 |
A Douglas DC-8 had been purchased by CAA and painted in its colors but was never delivered and eventually scrapped at Johannesburg International Airport.[citation needed]
Accidents and incidents
The only fatal accident involving an aircraft of Compagnie d'Aviation Africaine occurred on 4 March 2013, when a Fokker 50 (registered 9Q-CBD) crashed near Goma International Airport. Of the nine people who had been on the flight from Lodja, six were killed.[13] There were however a number of non-fatal incidents which resulted in CAA aircraft being damaged beyond repair:
- On 1 April 1997, a Convair CV-580 (registered 9Q-CRU) was destroyed at Tshikapa Airport when it overshot the runway and hit an embankment following a failed take-off abortion. There were fourteen occupants on board the scheduled flight to Mbuji-Mayi.[14]
- On 18 November 1999, another CV-580 (registered 9Q-CEJ) had to be written off following an off-airport emergency landing near Tshikapa due to an engine failure that had been encountered shortly into the flight to Kananga.[15]
- On 19 November 2009, Flight 3711 from Kinshasa overran the runway upon landing at Goma Airport. Of the 117 occupants on board the aircraft, a McDonnell Douglas MD-82 registered 9Q-CAB, around 20 were injured.[16]
- On 2 January 2010, a cargo-configured Boeing 727 (registered 9Q-CAA) veered off the runway during an emergency landing attempt in heavy rain at N'djili Airport. Previously, the pilots had reported a loss of hydraulic pressure.[17]
See also
References
- ^ a b "Information about Compagnie Africaine d'Aviation at rzjets.net". Retrieved 20 May 2013.
- ^ "FlyCAA". Airline History. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
- ^ "AeroTransport Data Bank". Retrieved 6 June 2015.
- ^ a b "Great Circle Mapper". Retrieved 6 June 2015.
- ^ EU Mobility and Transport, List of airlines banned within the EU, http://ec.europa.eu/transport/modes/air/safety/air-ban/search_en.htm
- ^ "FlyCAA". Airline History. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
- ^ ch-aviation.com - Congo's FlyCAA ends international flights 8 January 2016
- ^ "Compagnie Africaine d'Aviation mulls flights from Kinshasa to Brussels". 4 November 2020.
- ^ "Timetable (6 August 2013)" (PDF). Compagnie Africaine d'Aviation. Retrieved 1 September 2013.
- ^ "Global Airline Guide 2019 (Part One)". Airliner World (October 2019): 12.
- ^ "Global Airline Guide 2016 (Part One)". Airliner World (October 2016): 12.
- ^ a b c "Compagnie Africaine d'Aviation". Airliner World: 32–36. February 2015.
- ^ Harro Ranter (4 March 2013). "ASN Aircraft accident Fokker 50 9Q-CBD Goma Airport (GOM)". Retrieved 6 June 2015.
- ^ Harro Ranter (1 April 1997). "ASN Aircraft accident Convair CV-580 9Q-CRU Tshikapa Airport (TSH)". Retrieved 6 June 2015.
- ^ Harro Ranter (18 November 1999). "ASN Aircraft accident Convair CV-580 9Q-CEJ Tshikapa". Retrieved 6 June 2015.
- ^ Harro Ranter (19 November 2009). "ASN Aircraft accident McDonnell Douglas DC-9-82 (MD-82) 9Q-CAB Goma Airport (GOM)". Retrieved 6 June 2015.
- ^ Harro Ranter (2 January 2010). "ASN Aircraft accident Boeing 727-231F Super 27 9Q-CAA Kinshasa-N'Djili Airport (FIH)". Retrieved 6 June 2015.
External links
Media related to Compagnie Africaine d'Aviation at Wikimedia Commons
- Official website